For this fifth solo exhibition at Anton Kern Gallery\, Polis
h artist Wilhelm Sasnal has selected a group of paintings and works on pape
r around the theme of Kodak\, the now defunct film and camera manufacturer.
Some works make direct references to specific products\, advertisemen
ts and to Kodak’s founder George Eastman\, others create a “capture the mom
ent” atmosphere addressing issues of picture-taking and picture-making.It comes as no surprise that a painter and filmmaker like Wilhelm Sasnal
would make Kodak the subject of his work. Since their invention\, film and
cameras have fascinated and challenged painters. Specifically\, as Kodachro
me film gained a reputation for its reproduction of “true colors”\, the ide
a of reality\, naturalism and truth in painting has been reformulated by ar
tists in various ways. In addition\, the Kodak pocket camera’s ability to c
apture a fleeting moment\, along with the branding of the so called “Kodak
moment” has liberated everyday photographers and created a universal cultur
e of vernacular images that has the potential to turn ordinary events into
private historical moments.Sasnal’s position in regards to all of thi
s is one of analytic observation and intuitive transformation. Known for hi
s wide range of painterly methods\, evident in these new paintings\, Sasnal
’s work deals with the underlying and subconscious presence of the history
of an image\, place or situation. As much as the artist is indebted to the
physicality of film stock and cinematography\, including its many visual ef
fects\, Sasnal creates every image as a singular event\, both in his chosen
motif and in the pictorial mode in which it is painted. Despite their subj
ect’s universal nature\, these works are delicate and precise\, yet also si
ngularly striking reflections on the nature of personal and collective memo
ry. Sasnal’s paintings capture the fleeting moment twofold\, once as a mome
nt brought to a halt\, quite like a photograph\, and secondly as an unravel
ing of sub-conscious layers of meaning and history\, quite beyond the capab
ility of photography.Sasnal’s work has most recently been featured in
solo exhibitions at the Haus der Kunst\, Munich (2012)\, Whitechapel Galle
ry\, London (2011)\, K21\, Düsseldorf (2009)\, and will be presented this f
all in a major retrospective at the MSN Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw. His
work has been included in group shows such as Image Counter Image\, Haus d
er Kunst\, Munich (2012)\, Painting Between The Lines\, CAA\, San Francisco
(2011)\, The Reach of Realism\, MOCA Museum of Contemporary Art\, Miami (2
009)\, the 55th Carnegie International\, the Glasgow International (both 20
08)\, Musée d’ Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris\, MoMA\, New York (both 200
7)\, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam\, where he won the 2006 Vincent Van
Gogh Biennial Award for Contemporary Art\, the National Museum of Art in Os
aka\, the Museu Serralves in Porto (all 2006)\, and the Biennale de Sao Pau
lo (2004). Sasnal's most recent feature-length film "It Looks Pretty From A
Distance" has been screened at New Horizons Film Festival Poland (2011)\,
Rotterdam Film Festival\, Munich Film Festival\, Crossing Europe Film Festi
val\, Jeonju International Film Festival Korea\, Hong Kong International Fi
lm Festival\, and New Directors New Films Festival\, New York (all 2012).
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DTEND:20130406
DTSTAMP:20150303T190012
DTSTART:20130222
GEO:40.7463808;-74.007077
LOCATION:Anton Kern Gallery\,532 West 20th Street \nNew York\, NY 10011
SEQUENCE:0
SUMMARY:Solo Exhibition\, Wilhelm Sasnal
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